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Old 22nd March 2021, 20:48   #1
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Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold

"Why are these guys raving about a 7 year old Ford?" I was thinking to myself. I was tired of the Ford fanboy comments on Tata Nexon content in various social media platforms.

January 18, 2021

I had hardly driven a kilometer but the decision was made. My first ever NEW car was going to be the Ford EcoSport Diesel. Bye bye Nexon.

3 Months Ago

Since October 2020, I was 99.99% sure and had decided I was going to book a Tata Nexon Diesel XM variant in Tectonic Blue sometime in May 2021. I woke up watching Tata Nexon videos in Youtube, followed multiple owners groups on Facebook, read up on every single Tata Nexon related thread on Team-BHP. I was chanting "Vocal for Local" even subconsciously in my sleep. I had even decided that I was going to chuck the steel wheels the XM variant came with and get Momo Massimo alloys the day I take delivery of my car. At this point one may ask "How come EcoSport then?"

A: "I had never driven the EcoSport until now !"

Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold-7173b1155952482c81c3f00ccb9af08d.jpeg

Likes:
  • Solid build quality. Adds immensely to the feel good factor.
  • Lots of cubby holes and storage spots throughout the cabin.
  • Amazing grunt from the engine post 1900 rpm, keeps pulling relentlessly. Don't let the 99 bhp value on paper fool you.
  • Steering feedback is very good despite being an electric unit.
  • Handling is very good for a tall car and the car sticks to the road as intended while driving a bit spiritedly.
  • S-I-L-E-N-T cabin. The NVH is very good, can easily cruise long distances.
  • Huge 52L tank gives a good range if driven normally.
  • Well kitted Titanium variant feels VFM. Traction Control, Hill hold assist, ESC, Electric brake assist, sunroof, the good instrument cluster from the Sport variant, Alloys, projector headlamps, fog lamps, leather wrapped steering, arm rest, boot lamp, start-stop button and rear parcel tray. All this for rupees 65k(ex-showroom) over the Trend.
  • All controls in the cabin feel ergonomically placed to me.
  • Loving the Beige bits on the interior, makes the cabin feel airy.
  • Smart touches adds to the experience viz. ORVMs open/close upon unlocking/locking, smart entry, detailed customizable car menu in the MID.

Dislikes:
  • The factory paint has quite a bit of orange peel. Could have been better executed.
  • Interior space management could have been better. Strictly a 4-seater plus max a 10 year old in the rear middle.
  • Stock tires get the job done. But feel a little noisy and a tad skittish around corners.
  • Ford's everchanging feature list every quarter. I got bland silver alloys, the 2020 Titanium had an option of gunmetal Grey.
  • The infotainment unit is not bright enough under the afternoon sun and I have to move closer to read anything.
  • Rear seatbelt buckles keep rattling, should have come with dedicated holders to prevent the same.
  • Reverse camera quality is average at best (I am being very generous).
  • Average fuel consumption displayed in the MID is off by at least 2-2.5kmpl always.
  • No Split folding rear seat, it hardly costs anything to include.

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this thread are from my personal experience and is in no way intended to offend anyone. I have no affiliation with any of the services / Businesses mentioned in this thread.

I have created this thread to document my experiences and memories created with my Ford. I will keep updating this thread accordingly.

Last edited by Shanksta : 10th August 2021 at 02:59.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 21:28   #2
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Window Shopping

January 16, 2021

I was casually browsing through the Ford India website as I woke up for the day, what immediately caught my eye was the feature list for the 2021 Ford EcoSport Titanium. It suddenly looked super VFM. I decided I will drop by both the Ford and Tata showroom today to test drive the respective cars. Little did I know that this visit would advance my car purchase scheduled during the second half of 2021 to the third week of January 2021.

First stop was Dhruvan Ford in S.Kolathur. I was the only customer when I walked in at 10:30AM. The test drive car was not available as it was being serviced and the sales consultant took down all my details and promised to bring the car home on Monday at 11:30AM. This was a bummer but I fiddled around with the display car and the initial impressions were solid build, cramped rear legroom(similar to my Punto), strictly suitable for only 4 adults and loved the dashboard especially the analog dials in the instrument cluster.

Next stop was Lakshmi Tata in Guindy(previously Concorde). There were quite a few customers inside but enough space to maintain social distance. I was attended to promptly and once again there was no diesel Nexon available for test drive. However I drove the petrol for the feel of the dynamics and suspension. Nexon is a bit firm at low speeds, the interior was way more airy and had more space that the Ford, the seats were a bit better. The Turbo petrol was a bit noisy but pretty tractable. However I personally found the gear lever slotting action a bit long and the clutch a bit non-linear to use.

The sales folk at Tata asked me if they could bring the diesel on Monday however I promised to call them back. I decided to drive the diesel Ford before the Tata. I also visited Hans Ford the same day, my effort was in vain. As a bargain though I saw every single shade of the Ecosport at Hans Ford in person. Returned home and called it a day.

January 18, 2021

The sales consultant from Dhruvan Ford turned up at my home promptly at 11:30AM as promised with a Diesel S version in Canyon Ridge shade. I drove the car for close to 8 kms and as mentioned in the opening post made up my mind within the first kilometer that this was it. Space be damned, this car was kickass to drive. The super sweet 1.5 liter mill was a joy to floor, the eagerness of the engine to rev and pick up speed was mind blowing. Clutch was light in comparison to my Innova, gearbox thought not perfect was way better than the notchy gearbox in the Punto. The handling was much better than the Nexon, although to be fair I never drove the diesel Nexon.

January 20, 2021

Sold the Punto to Ford Assured for a decent price I was happy with. I chose the sale amount to be transferred to my account and it was done promptly the next day.

January 23, 2021

Went to showroom and booked the EcoSport Titanium Diesel in Absolute Black. Was told a 90day waiting period on paper, although my Sales Executive was confident we will receive the car within 60 days.

March 20, 2021

Took delivery of my EcoSport after a 56 day wait.

Last edited by Shanksta : 8th August 2021 at 20:17.
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Old 18th April 2021, 01:55   #3
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Why a New Car ?

If short on time you can skip this section as it is just me trying to justify buying a new car.

I was in love with the Fiat Punto since its launch in India, more so after I had the opportunity to drive a Linea owned by my dad's friend. I dreamt of owning a Fiat Punto and even made quite a few unsuccessful pitches to my parents on why they should buy their 21 year old college going son a 8 lakh rupee(no Active variant for me, only 90HP) hatch as a birthday gift, back in the day.

>>Fast forward to August 2019>>

I was finally in a position to buy my first car, but there was a problem. I was not too keen in buying a new B1 segment or a base variant B2 segment car. Hence decided I will tread the used car path and buy one of the legends from back in the day.

I was still browsing used car websites on a daily basis and went through almost every listing for the following cars:
  • Fiat Grande Punto 90HP
  • Skoda Octavia 1.9TDi
  • Mitsubishi Cedia
  • Honda Civic 1.8 V MT
Every option except the Fiat went out of the list quite quickly when I realized that either the asking price was wrong or the mileage was uncomfortably high.

Long story short, in Oct 2019 during my daily ritual of browsing came across a listing for a single owner 2011 Grande Punto 90HP with 75k on the ODO. Turns out the listing was by my dad's friend that was into the used car business. Went over on a weekend, drove the car, loved it and bought it. Car was not perfect however few reassuring facts was car was single owner, it had 98pcd HRS H412 alloys which showed that the owner cared about specs and went the extra mile to procure the correct pcd alloys. Michelin tyres. Serviced yearly at Fiat dealership with the last service being done 4 months prior at VTK Fiat.

Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold-img_20200913_10364001.jpeg

After getting the car I was in for a surprise, car had age related wear which included a leaky gearbox seal, leaking steering rack. Got those refurbished along with an all fluid change service and also preventively servicing the right side driveshaft as it showed potential signs of leakage in the future. The timing chain was in pink of health and also the workshop I went to confirmed that I had bought a neat example, albeit the age related wear. Post this, I clocked 6k kms in 3 months with no issues, I was loving the Fiat to the core, it was everything I had hoped for and wanted. Super reliable !

The Fiat also introduced to me to a whole new side of car ownership, owning a car from a manufacturer that was no longer present in the market. I had established a Mechanic/FNG to take care of my car. I had discovered buying car parts online, I had discovered digging deep through old forums from across the world to find solutions to problems, I was reaching to out to people on FB groups.

Mind you this is all very very new for me as my only other automobile experience for comparison is the Toyota Innova that we also own. Worlds apart.

Anyway everything was going good in life, I dreamt of keeping the Fiat till the end of its RC validity and driving it lots. However the universe had other plans, 2020 happened.

With the car being parked for long periods, quite a few niggles and issues started popping up.
  1. Front windshield sealant had cracked somewhere and was letting water in during monsoon(couple of drops every minute).
  2. 1-2 cms dia Rust related paint bubbling on the left rear wheel arch, below the passenger side ORVM and on the roof near top of the fron windshield.
  3. Frequent mold formation in the interior, that kept reappearing despite a 3M germikleen session and also me wiping down the interiors with diluted distilled white vinegar.
  4. Front suspension needed an overhaul. Car felt normal on flat roads but nosediving while braking and suspension not settling down as before on bad roads.
  5. Left headlamp beam leveler motor went kaput and left headlight was permanently pointing at position 5.
  6. The instrument cluster screen died and no amount of phonecalls helped me get only the LCD (which costs 1-1.5k in Delhi). The entire unit costed 16k or a replacement LCD alone costed 5k.
  7. Remote key unlock button was not working.
  8. AC gas leakage.
As you can see it was just a bad phase for an otherwise perfectly running car.

I initially decided to get all the major issues sorted out and keep the car till end of 2022. But then I felt felt it made more sense to sell the Fiat now when the used car market was peaking due to the pandemic, avoid another 2 years of depreciation and to use the money meant for repairs for the new car that I would buy sometime in mid 2021.

While the head agreed, it was very hard for the heart to let go of the Punto. They just do not make cars like this anymore. Period.
After 14 months I sold the Punto for 78% of the price I paid or rather looking at it this way-> it costed me 3586 Rupees a month minus Diesel, Insurance and Maintenance.

Last edited by Shanksta : 8th August 2021 at 22:00.
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Old 18th April 2021, 03:17   #4
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Dealership Experience

The dealer I dealt with was Dhruvan Ford in Kovilambakkam, Chennai for both selling my old car to their Ford Assured division and also for the purchase of the new car. Splitting the experience into 2 sections since the used car division and new car are separate.

Overall experience selling my old car -> 8/10

The executive came home at the agreed time and evaluated the car quickly. They offered me 20k lesser than what I was looking for and honestly I was pretty happy with that price and agreed. As soon as I agreed he came home in an hour with all the paperwork and everything was documented appropriately. I was handed the possession letter and Sale receipt and I handed over the car minus the original RC and Insurance, this was provided once the payment was completed the following day. However, reducing a couple of points since the name transfer is delayed and still pending even after 3 months. But they did clarify that this was because of the mode of finance the eventual buyer for my Punto chose. Irrespective, I have been bugging them every week for updates and have been promised it will done by end of this month.

EDIT: Name transfer was completed in June-2021.

Was informed initially that they might be unable to honor the exchange bonus as I had requested for the money to be transferred to my account instead of internal transfer and also owing to the waiting period of 90 days. However after a 10 minute discussion on the day of booking the EcoSport they without hesitation gave in writing in the booking form that they will honor the exchange bonus as applicable in the month I am allotted in the car.

Overall experience buying my new car -> 10/10

Flawless is the word ! The sales executive that attended to me was extremely professional and kept his word on every single commitment made to me from his end. Right from the pre-sales to giving me a couple of long test drives, to taking my booking and regular updates on the status of my booking, put up with all my demands, attended every single call for all my silly questions. Once the car was billed to me from Ford he shared the VIN as requested and informed me when the car arrived to the dealership so that I could complete my PDI and convey my decision.

The paperwork for the insurance, RTO Registration, fastag was promptly completed within the same day of receiving the payment. All chosen accessories were fitted and car was ready for delivery along with HSRP plates a couple of days prior to my actual chosen delivery date. On the delivery day we were in and out of the dealership in an hour, paperwork completed in 10 minutes, CRM took my feedback, quick pooja by the dealership, key handover & complete demo by the SA. Very organized.

If anyone from Chennai wants to buy a Ford I will happily point my finger in their direction. (No affiliation whatsoever, purely impressed by my experience with them)

My booking is mentioned here (The "I Booked my Car" Thread). The Price I paid in rupees as below:
Ex-Showroom - ₹9,99,900
RTO, Fastag - ₹1,03,590
Essential Kit - ₹4,300 (Rubber floor mats, Carpet boot mat, Mud flaps & car dustbin)
Insurance - ₹26,278 (Comprehensive with Zero Dep + 3 Years third party)
Accessories - ₹2,832 (Seat Covers, Front non-illuminated sill plates, Neck Pillows. Amount after discount of 7500)

Final OTR - ₹11,36,012

UPDATE: First Service Experience @ 1521 kms -> 8/10

Due to the second wave, when things eased up a little I chose the doorstep service. The first service as with any car is just a customary check and also I was not desperate to have the car's underbody washed. Hence requested the technician to just inspect. I had no faults to report and also the technician completed his list of checks in 20 minutes. Followed protocols and sanitized all the touch points before and after the inspection. I have rated it only 8/10 because I had to follow-up for 3 days continuously for a picture/copy of the invoice raised for the first service. The same reflected in the Ford PASS app too only after 2 weeks.

Last edited by Shanksta : 8th August 2021 at 20:13.
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Old 18th April 2021, 03:55   #5
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Initial Experience

Kilometers driven to date (08-Aug-2021) - 3545 kms

Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold-20210717_12241601.jpeg

As there is already a lot said about the EcoSport on this forum, I am going touch upon my observations in comparison with my ex-car and also the EcoSport's garage mate our Innova.

Observations

Exteriors
  • Exterior Build quality feels more solid in comparison to my Innova and almost on par to the Punto. The Front doors are heavy and require a very firm hand to close in the first attempt(my parents fail every time ). Rear doors do not feel as solid as the front ones. Even though the weight of the doors does not necessarily determine the rigidity, from a touch and feel perspective the rear ones are lacking.
  • The OEM paint for the Absolute Black has quite a bit of orange peel effect. This was the same on the 1 other new EcoSport and Endeavour I checked out in the showroom. Looks good half a feet away any closer and a keen enthusiast will notice this easily.
  • The sideways opening boot door is super heavy and has an electric release cum request sensor. Hence you can open the door when the keyfob is in your pocket. Additionally, try as much as you want to but you just cannot clean the portion of the door behind the spare wheel unless you dismount the spare.
  • The windshield spray nozzles are neatly hidden in the cowl area and gives a clean look to the hood.
  • The plastic cladding around the car in the lower portion has a nice feel and will definitely save you from those paint chips. Easy to clean as well.
  • Well integrated sunroof with 2 modes. It has one touch open and close, although apart from the delivery day and a couple more times I haven't opened it. The 2 modes I mentioned one is the normal open and close while the other is the ventilation mode. Press the close button twice for the sunroof to pop up a little.

Interiors

Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold-inkedinked20210717_124533_li.jpg
  • I Personally love the black and beige interiors in the Titanium variant makes the cabin feel airy. Also Ford has been smart to provide black floor carpets. No Cloth padding on the door pads. I don't understand how much Ford is saving by deleting the cloth padding on the doorpads. The Titanium+ variant that comes with the same interior scheme has this.
  • Inadequate space utilization in the interior. This is one of the major factors that makes the EcoSport a strict 4-seater. Interior is well put together and even though it is mostly hard plastics, they feel durable and built to last a long time.
  • Front seats offer good under thigh support and the maximum I have been in the car continuously is 4 hours at a stretch till now and have not felt tired. The rear seats are decent although no way close to the Nexon, additionally they are not 60:40 split as well. Again I wonder how much Ford is saving on a couple of locks.
  • Ergonomically I find all the controls and switches falling to hand easily and within the drivers reach.
  • Lots of cubby holes inside the cabin, I have counted a total of 10 till now. Ford has given a rubber based for most of these as well that help prevent rattles while placing your house keys or loose change. Good touch there.
  • I absolutely love analog instrument clusters and the one in the EcoSport is extremely pleasing to the eyes. Contrary to a few posts I have read here, I find the cluster extremely classy especially the use of the ice blue lighting for the needles and the interior switchgear. Every single switch in the cabin is illuminated.

Engine and Gearbox
  • The BS6 compliant 1.5TDCi is very refined and silent below 2500 rpm. Am yet to drive over that engine speed. Although the engine is pretty tractable in the low end. There is bit of turbo lag below 1500 rpm and I can feel the engine getting progressively livelier only post this point. Initial thoughts on mileage although it is too early. This car sips on fuel, got a very respectable 16.1kmpl from the first tankful with car being majorly driven inside the city.
  • The MID asks to you to downshift if the revs fall below ~1500 rpm in any gear. Upshift is indicated at ~2000rpm. You can pull a neat trick with this engine by releasing the clutch slowly and shift till 3rd gear/30kmph without any accelerator input.
  • The gearbox feels very good to use in comparison to the notchy gearbox in the Punto. This one is sure slotting and has relatively short throw. Also the clutch is light, bear in mind my other car is an Innova.
  • Very easy to make those overtakes on 2 lane state highways, just a drop a gear floor it. The engine is super eager to rev once you cross 2000rpm and sounds good too.
  • Typical diesel and has a healthy clatter when cold. The vibrations from the engine is felt on the clutch pedal till the engine warms up.
  • Reading a lot of feedback regarding DPF problems in the 2021 EcoSport TDCi. Touchwood have not had any issues.

Steering
  • Steering is very nice to hold and well calibrated. Not equal to the HPS unit from the Punto but despite the Ford's being an EPS I am not having withdrawal symptoms. The leather wrap on the steering is well done and feels durable.
  • Have driven up to a maximum of 100kmph till now and have found the steering to be adequately weighing up with enough confidence.
  • The rake & reach adjustment has a good travel range. The buttons on the steering wheel are well finished and easy to use. The horn is also within the reach of the thumb.

Ride & Handling
  • No two ways of putting it, ride quality is very firm in comparison to my ex-Punto and our Innova. We are still getting used to it. Although this is relative, it improves a lot as the speed picks up and only the sharp ones filter through at higher speeds.
  • Body roll is controlled and never scary. The EcoSport maintains its lines through corners very well.
  • I had to make a emergency swerve to avoid a cow that came running hardly 15feet in front of my car while I was doing 50kmph and the EcoSport changed lanes without any drama.
  • At about 80kmph and on good roads the car just glides. Masks the speed very well.
  • Ground Clearance is great ! No more worrying of scraping the chin or bottoming out as was the case in the Punto.
  • The stock Goodyear tyres are a bit noisy, do not feel very grippy in the corners.


Infotainment
  • I am not very tech-savvy and therefore find the FlyAudio system very satisfying for my needs. The 9 inch screen is extremely responsive and adequately bright with the right amount of features. Bluetooth call quality is excellent and the receiver is able to hear my voice clearly sans any background noise. The sound output from the 4 speaker + 2 tweeter setup is good, although under settings -> Sound, there is an option called "Loudness" that you can turn on/off. My suggestion is to keep it permanently off.
  • The built in Navigation is decent and I have used it a couple of times. Works flawlessly and have been able to locate my destinations. One thing I love in the maps is while navigating if there is an upcoming junction that is confusing, it shows an example image of the the type of junction with an arrow clearly indicating the path you need to follow. This is super neat and avoids those common "should I get onto the flyover or go beneath it?" mix-ups. Also indicates the speed limit of the road, although I suspect it just randomly shows a value.


HVAC
  • A/C is a chiller, it is proving its potential in the 37-40 degree heat we are experiencing now. But I think I need to get transparent sun films since the glass are is huge and I am in a weird situation with one hand getting roasted while the other is chilled.
  • 23 degree and fan speed at 2 is my ideal setting. A/C is always ON.

Miscellaneous Observations
  • Start-Stop button is located very conveniently and is intuitive to use. Press it without depressing the clutch to turn on accessory mode. Press the clutch and hit the button to fire up the engine.
  • In Comparison to the regular keyless entry systems in cars from other manufacturers, Ford's is very well executed. Just place your hand on the handle to unlock and touch the 3 engraved lines on top of the handle to lock.
  • Conventional placement of wiper stalks is a big relief as earlier I used to accidentally turn on the wipers despite trying to consciously remember to not do so, while switching between the Innova and the Punto. Even thought the Indicator and wiper placement are now conventional, the wiper stalk still has a Ford quirk. You need to move the stalk upwards(as required to toggle between various speeds) as opposed to moving the stalk downwards in other cars.
  • Center armrest is not as high or wide as I would have liked it to be. In our Innova both the front occupants can easily rest our arms without touching each other as well. However even in the current avatar it is deep enough to accommodate a 1 liter water bottle.
  • Appreciate Ford for giving a full size spare alloy, they could have easily chosen to slap on a spare wheel cover and hide a space saver or steel wheel but they did not. Very plain alloy wheel design in the Titanium version and to add salt to the wound Ford even discontinued the gunmetal grey alloys that were previously available on the 2018 facelift Titanium variant. Wondering if I should get these alloys painted glossy black/Gunmetal Grey or replace with a new set of 5 aftermarket alloys after a year or two.
  • Have noticed an error of 2kmpl in the MID readings for mileage when compared to the real world figure. Will continue to track this till the first service. EDIT: Noticed this during second refill and it continues till date, not a deal breaker though because the DTE works flawlessly.
  • Rear seatbelt buckles do not have any sort of holder or slot to keep them in place when not in use and these end up hitting against the C pillar plastic cladding and creating a racket while driving over undulations.
  • Missing Grab handles. I suspect this is because of the sunroof and Ford was too lazy to add another roof liner SKU with provisions for the grab handles. They seem to have taken the easy way out but keeping the roof line same as top variant as they come with sunroof + curtain airbags.
  • The rear wiper switch in the left steering column stalk is poorly thought out. I have accidentally turned on the rear wiper a few times now.
  • The MID has a lot of features that can be customized as required. You can enable disable auto lock/unlock, Courtesy wipe, rear wiper, rear parking sensors, etc.,
  • The reverse camera is placed well but the quality of the image is not so great and the guidelines are not adaptive, this does not really bother me though as I tend to use the ORVM and IRVM to reverse.

Last edited by Shanksta : 8th August 2021 at 22:04.
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Old 8th August 2021, 19:36   #6
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Usage and Experience

I am still working from home currently and also owing to the current situation I am unable to go on long road trips. But I do sneak in some highway kilometers whenever possible. I had covered just 1521 kms till June.

If I had to split the 3545kms clocked till date, I would say I have driven close to 1200kms in the city and the remainder are my random drives on the highway.

Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold-20210807_125737.jpg

Quick Getaway #1
Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold-20210717_101216.jpg

In July I did the first proper long trip in the EcoSport. It was a day trip to Yercaud and back as I was just plain bored of looking at same four walls owing to the lockdown. I clocked 701 kms totally and not to mention fell more in love with the Ford. Re-sharing my post (Ford EcoSport : Official Review) from the Official review thread.
Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold-20210717_12233401.jpeg

Quote:
So finally took Skylar (I have named her) on a proper highway drive on Saturday.

Drove from Chennai to Yercaud and back, a total of 701 kms. This trip just made me fall way more in love with the EcoSport's highway manners and the NVH.

I drove solo, Left home at 5:43 AM and was back by 5:48 PM. No stops anywhere, reached the foothills by 10:30AM and slowly made my way up enjoying the scenery and taking pictures, reached Yercaud at 11:30AM and picked up a parcel of Biryani from Thambi Prabhakaran Unavagam (must try if you are a foodie). Started my descent and stopped by the road side a few kms down. Enjoyed the biryani with the sound of Nature making a great background score. One quick bio-break and I started the return. It was a very pleasant day and I thoroughly enjoyed.

Got an overall mileage of 16.5 kmpl, there was a lot of traffic and the constant downshifting might have taken a toll on the average. Traffic was sparse after reaching Ulundurpet.

Compared to my Innova the EcoSport definitely feels way more powerful and quieter on the highways but the ride quality is FIRM(tyre pressure: 30 psi) and you definitely feels those rumblers and expansion joints on your bottom.

P.S. The MID continues to show a difference of ~2kmpl. Also diesel retailing at ₹94.53/liter in Chennai is crazy.
Quick Getaway #2
Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold-20210807_11324201.jpeg

Apart from this did another Solo daytrip to see the beautiful little town of Kanadukathan near Karaikudi recently. Clocked a total of 779 kms in 13 hours. It was good drive and the state highway from Trichy via Pudhukottai is marvelous. Thoroughly enjoyed. Also managed to squeeze in a total of 854 kms from the last tankful, that includes this drive 779 kms plus the remainder 75 kms was inside city. Got a cumulative mileage of 18.5kmpl.

Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold-20210807_10373101.jpeg

Last edited by Shanksta : 8th August 2021 at 22:16.
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Old 8th August 2021, 21:52   #7
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Summing it Up

Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase. It is definitely a huge upgrade from the Punto and I would wholeheartedly recommend the Diesel EcoSport to people who want a sub 4m car with great road manners, ground clearance and grunt.

The talks of Ford planning to stop operations in India is a bit concerning but not one that makes me regret my purchase.

Lastly, I am pretty sure if the prices/features of the EcoSport Titanium were the same as what they were in 2020 this thread would have been one for a Diesel Tata Nexon XM. I replaced my Fiat with a Ford, maybe when the time comes I might replace my Toyota with a Tata.

Last edited by Shanksta : 9th August 2021 at 01:29.
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Old 10th August 2021, 05:21   #8
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re: Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

Last edited by GTO : 10th August 2021 at 07:03.
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Old 10th August 2021, 08:44   #9
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re: Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold

Congrats on the purchase
Really hope the company stays in India and bring out more products from their stable
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Old 10th August 2021, 08:48   #10
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Re: Summing it Up

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shanksta View Post
The BS6 compliant 1.5TDCi is very refined and silent below 2500 rpm. Am yet to drive over that engine speed. Although the engine is pretty tractable in the low end. There is bit of turbo lag below 1500 rpm and I can feel the engine getting progressively livelier only post this point.
First of all congratulations on your new ride. The Ecosport even though launched in 2012 still looks good. The Titanium variant which is smartly priced under 10L is the most VFM variant. It also attracts less tax in many states.

I played around with the idea of buying one myself in 2019, but had to drop it because of the turbo lag felt in the 2nd gear and the cramped up space (coming from TUV 300 this felt very much cramped). However, the red and blue colour vehicles were a looker, especially with blacked out roofs.

This is one of the most successful vehicle in India and the availability of spares has never been an issue since beginning. The amount of aftermarket mods and accessories for Ecosport are endless. You made smart choice by choosing Ecosport over Nexon.

Wishing you happy miles ahead.
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Old 10th August 2021, 09:27   #11
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re: Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold

Congratulations and a Great write-up. Went through the exact same experience and all it took for the plunge was back to back test drives of Nexon and EcoSport.

The invoice and the inspection reports were handed over to me promptly for the first service though. Done 6500km since Dec 20 and waiting for the next opportunity for a trip .
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Old 10th August 2021, 09:45   #12
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re: Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold

Congrats on your EcoSport, wish you lakhs of happy kilometres. Had one for 7 years I totally get the attachment with it, once you drive it you are instantly floored by it. The only thing that bugs me is the constant feature deletions that take place now and Ford’s DPF issue that they haven’t been able to solve.

With a heavy heart I sold my EcoSport a few days back, to welcome a new member home, let me tell you upgrading from an EcoSport is really tough .
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Old 10th August 2021, 09:46   #13
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re: Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold

Congratulations on your Titanium Ecosport. Black colour is a smart choice for Titanium variant as it masks Sports variant looks in it. An ex-Punto owner is immediately home to Ford Ecosport and not Nexon or any other sub 4m car. No two ways about it. In 2016 I had recommended Titanium Ecosport to my friend who was smitten by my Punto. He had to cancel his Hyundai i20 diesel booking and take a new ES. But even today he thanks me for this. His car has aged exceptionally well at 75k odo and he has no plans to exchange it for next 5 years. Wish you happy driving.

Last edited by KPR : 10th August 2021 at 09:50.
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Old 10th August 2021, 10:16   #14
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re: Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold

Congratulations on Getting Skylar home! The black color really looks good and I hope you don't face any DPF or power loss issues. The current Titanium is quite VFM and had there been cruise control in this variant, it would been a sweeter deal. As you said Ford has a bad habit of cutting features every 2 months. The original facelift came with Sync 3, Sports pedals, ambient lights, all black interiors, puddle lamps, 60:40 split seats but no ESP/TC.

Mod potential, you can play around with this car like a VAG car and within a budget too.
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Old 10th August 2021, 12:02   #15
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re: Ownership Review | My 2021 Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium Story | EDIT: Now Sold

Congrats on the new car!

I drive Ecosport Titanium petrol. And, the feeling is the same. It's delightful to drive Ecosport with the solid build quality. It won't disappoint you on highways or rough roads.
Happy Driving!
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